band-aids for bruised feelings

We know what to do with a skinned knee. We gingerly touch. We carefully wipe. We add ointment. We cover it up with a band-aid of just the right size.

We know what to do to make things better. Except we don’t. Not really. The better? The healing? That all happens from the inside. From within our child’s body.

All we are doing is sitting with them. Acknowledging their pain. Cleaning up the edges so the center can heal. {And that is everything they need.}

What can we do when they emotionally trip and fall? The exact same things. Which feels counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? We want to jump in and fix it. We want to minimize the pain. Or dismiss the friend. Or hover over the situation until it is better.

What does our child need? For us to sit. To softly hold. To add the salve of love and be with their bruised heart. It is this that allows them to best heal. It is everything they need.

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